A work experience teenager whom union bosses claim was being used to help break a journalists’ strike has now been sent home, the union claims.

The National Union of Journalists alleged that the 16-year-old had been asked to write news and sports stories to fill-out this week’s Selby Times, which has been hit by strike action.

However following NUJ protests, the union now claims that the youngster has been asked not to return to the newspaper’s office.

The Times is one of four weeklies in the Johnston Press owned South Yorkshire Newspapers group where journalists on strike over proposed job losses, along with the Doncaster Free Press, South Yorkshire Times and Goole Courier.

NUJ negotiator Lawrence Shaw said: “Our strikers have every sympathy with young people who want work experience because they’re interested in pursuing a career in journalism .

“But management at the Selby Times was exploiting that interest so the experience the young man was being offered was in strike breaking. We’re glad that exploitation has now stopped.”

Johnston Press declined to comment on the union’s claims.